GM opens on Ebay

It’s a brave new world out there in the the car business. Big, established names have fallen by the wayside, and iconic names from the past are being gobbled up by predatory minions. And as we all know, the ‘General’ (GM) has fared worst than most. It has suffered the ignominy of falling from the heights of success to a relatively worthless maker of cars that no one wants.

But GM is back as ‘New GM’, thanks to the US taxpayer. With a clean sheet and a desire to prove it’s fit to be a 21st century car maker, and is looking for new ways to shift its metal. And it’s decided that the world’s biggest boot sale is the way to go. Yes, GM is opening up on Ebay.

Kicking off today, car buyers in California will be able click and buy Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Pontiac models online. And not just new cars, but inventory up to two years old. There will even be the opportunity to make a ‘Best Offer’ as well as a ‘Buy it Now’.

Although this Ebay experiment is linked in to the inventory of California’s GM dealers, this could well see the beginning of the end for car dealers as we know them. The huge overheads that traditional car dealers are encumbered with already makes it difficult for them to compete with online car brokers. And we can see a point – in the not too distant future – where almost all car deals are done online, with just a few big, manufacturer-run ‘showrooms’ around the country for those who want to see before they buy.

And if this 6 week experiment by GM on Ebay is a success, that day could come sooner than you think.